Although it didn't really go anywhere, Asahi Shimbun reports a Japanese movie and TV heroine are bringing back the sailor uniform by donning it widely this autumn. Both are based on works of the 1980's. The first film is Kenta Fukasaku's "Sukeban Deka: Code Name Asamiya Saki starring Aya Matsuura. It opens in theaters September 30th. Interestingly, The Japan Times has an article today titled "Return of the 'delinquent girl cops'" mentioning this movie. The second is "Sailor Fuku To Kikan Juu" (Sailor Blouse And Machine Gun) starring Masami Nagasawa. It begins running on TBS on October 13. Madhouse's underground hit anime movie Tokikake also happens to feature a sailor bloused female lead. Many have seen the uniform type a kind of social shackle until the 1980's when it first attained foothold in pop culture. Sailor Moon did alot to establish the sailor fuku social phenomenon in the 1990's which had girls adopting unique styles including rolled up loose socks and mini-miniskirts. www.sukeban.jp/ | www.tbs.co.jp/kikanjyu2006/

On Friday, September 29th Incoming Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe deliered his first keynote address after assuming the position. Amongst a host of issues outlined was the new government's "Japanese Culture Industrial Strategy" which will involve hardening the information sending power and international competitiveness in the world of its' contents, pop culture, and traditional cultures etc. Thes include the animation, and music sectors.

9-29-06 (4:20AM EDT)---- Giant Robo Gohkin Densetsu

9-29-06 (4:12AM EDT)---- Kotobukiya Opens New Store In Akihabara

Japanese hobby company Kotobukiya is making preperations to open a new shop in the Akihabara Radio Hall. Various manga character merchandise, figures and related products will be sold there. have been treated. It opens in December, 2006.

9-29-06 (3:50AM EDT)---- "Chinese Culture Is Blasphemed" By Japanese H Game

Controversy surrounding Hentai video game character copying is in the news again today. This time around some Chinese net critics are calling foul over a new Japanese made hentai computer game released there which they say uses direct character likenesses from the 18th century classic Chinese novel Kouroumu. Some say the game and it's depiction of characters is a "Blasphemy", others demand a formal apology to the Chinese peope and the cease of production and sales by the game designer. Many of these comments can be seen at the portal site Sohu.com. A comment could not be obtained from Takayashiki development who is the development agent of the game. Source: IT Media

9-29-06 (3:38AM EDT)---- Comic SEED 11 Out

Issue 11 of the free online Japanese language manga anthology Comic SEED has just hit the web. www.comicseed.jp

9-28-06 (8:54PM EDT)---- Pokemon Diamond And Pearl Movie Opening

It was announced on the official website, www.pokemon-movie.jp, today that the tenth anniversary Pokemon Diamond And Pearl movie will officially open in the summer of 2007. Currently, the staff are looking at settings and stories, you can read a special note by Director Kunihiko Yuyama as well.

9-28-06 (10:02AM EDT)---- Death Note Anime Episode 1 Recording Wraps

More than likely the biggest anime TV series to start this fall, AV Watch has images from the Death Note Anime episode 1 post recording event held on September 28th in Tokyo.
There, cast and staff assembled after wrapping voice work on the initial TV story titled "shinsei" (newborn) which airs on NTV at 56 minutes past midnight on October 3rd. The entire episode itself was screened for reporters. Toshio Nakatani, Producer for Nippon Television said the network had examined a prime time airing frame because of the original story's extraordinarily high popularity and awareness. However, it came to be thought that a midnight slot might to better embody the world outlook of this work the most. Visual observations from the screening say the animation quality in Death Note is drastically higher than other midnight TV series. Additionaly it is said to be more violent than usual (something else you can get away with in the late night slots). The BGM selections and timing with events are said to be excellent as well. www.ntv.co.jp/deathnote/

9-28-06 (9:51AM EDT)---- 8 Arrested for "Otaku Hunting" In Akihabara

8 14-18 year old school boys were arrested Thursday by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department juvenile crime section, Manseibashi station for what is being called "Otaku Hunting". The students are suspected of blackmailing "otaku" in the Akihabara region. Some have already fessed up, saying "Otaku were weak and they are blackmailed easily and had money". Extortion cases of this type have begun to increase over the past three years in the Akihabara region. About 25 such inncidents were logged this year.

The newest buzzword in the English Language internet anime news community recently is "Unpackaged Media". This term has virtually appeared out of nowhere overnight, being used to refer to the recent launch of online video delivery sites such as Google Video, ADV Universe and Amazon Unbox. The term refers to the idea of the video contents being delivered online somehow being unconfined by the physical constraints of a DVD case (for instance). Oddly enough, no one seems to use it, the companies themselves with their millions of dollars and brilliant corporate minds have failed to think to list this word in reference to their new services and partnerships, probably because they know better. "Unpackaged Media" is somewhat of a contradictory and misleading term in this case. While it might not ship in a plastic shrinkwrapped black thinpack box-set, anyone who thinks a commercially sold product in a capitalist society (especially media) might be unpackaged, is fooling themselves. While not corporeal in nature (depending on how you look at it) The packaging for this media is the website itself. You've got the exact cover images from the DVD's and the exact DVD backcover descriptions / story summaries all wrapped in a flashy, sexy html based graphical user interface. A good question is: will these pay per view offerings be able to compete with qualitative and quantitatively superior illegally available versions? The customers drawn to these products often work on instinct alone, they don't care about a box, an image, a description, or any terminology or packaging whatsoever. They goto a search box, type in a title and click download. Legal or not, the widespread nature of this activity has been telling anime corporate for quite some time there is a market there. I commend them for finally acknowledging this market. The determining factor in the success of these anime online services seems to come down to arriving at a price the market will bear and the quality of product being offered.

9-27-06 (10:41PM EDT)---- Ryoujoku Gerira Kari 3 And Gundam SEED??

In the world of Japanese Hentai video games it's not at all uncommon to see characters that resemble those from popular mainstream anime and manga of the time. H game publisher Liquid's new PC Hentai title "Ryoujoku Gerira Kari 3" has recently drawn attention in Japanese fan circles for the chara designs and uniforms resembling those found in Gundam SEED. The CD-ROM game is 18+ only, retailing at 9,240 Yen. Release has been set for 2007/01/26. Interestingly the video codec utilized is the new open source OGG format. Character Designs by Kuroishi Ringo, Story by Yu Minami.

9-27-06 (9:39PM EDT)---- First Live Action Conan Drama Pics

Yomiuri Shimbun has published soem of the first image stills from the forthcoming Great Detective Conana television drama.

9-27-06 (8:27PM EDT)---- New Giant Robo Anime Details

GR -GIANT ROBO-, to be produced in commemoration of the original manga's 40th anniversary will feature animation by
SOFT GARAGE.

9-27-06 (8:26PM EDT)---- Venus Versus Virus Site

TBS launched the first official website for the forthcoming Venus Versus Virus TV series. TBS and BS-i will broadcast.

9-27-06 (8:14PM EDT)---- Coyote Ragtime Show Sequel Coming?

Information published in the November issue of Comic Rush hints at a possible sequel to the Coyote Ragtime anime TV series. The name of the project is "Twelve Sisters Story", centering on Madame Marciano's Twelve Sisters from the original. The format could be an OVA but at this point there seems to be some question on whether to produce the project. Something that may push the development is a coming American fan / consumer base garnered through ADV Films' license announcement at AWA this past weekend.

9-27-06 (9:00AM EDT)---- Victorian Emma PVC

Max Factory has unveiled a gorgeous painted 1/7 scale PVC statuette depiction of Victorian Emma set for release in 2007.

9-27-06 (8:41AM EDT)---- Magikano Creator Ill - Manga Suspended

A post to the front page of Mangka Takeaki Momose's Official Website mentions that due to the author's bad health and recent injury, the Magikano manga will be suspended with a possibility of being restarted within the year. Magikano serilaizes in Kodansha's Magazine Z. Momose adds a note saying: "I am sorry for putting any serious trouble and worry on readers and everyone concerned. Since I will do my best towards resumption, I need your help and well wishes." The creator is also known for the Miami Guns and RahXephon manga.

NTT East and West of Japan have announced they will try and collect over 41,000 cordless telephones that were sold between 1991-92. These units are supposedly responsible for mis-sending distress signals on the same emergency frequencies used by modern ships and vessels. One recent cluster of instances occured in Chiba Prefecture Choshishi. There, 279 false distress signals were logged and attributed to the handheld phones between June and July of this year. Japan's Coast Guard was even alerted and mobilized patrol boats around 20 times inside that number.

AV Watch reports on Square Enix's Tokyo Game Show Announcement that the CG Anime Final Fantasy VII Advent Children will hit Blu-Ray in 2007. Exact day, specifications and current cost of the next generation high definition video disc release are all currently undecided. What is confirmed is fans can expect a much higher resolution than the DVD version and multiple language audio track selections. Additionally, new footage may get edited in. A demonstration clip was shown at the company's booth. When asked about a possible port to the other HD media (HDDVD) Square offered the following statement: "At present, we are able to announce only the BD video version".

9-26-06 (5:05AM EDT)---- Japan's New Prime Minister Not Otaku

The International Herald Tribune reports Nationalist Shinzo Abe, a proponent of a robust alliance with the United States and a more assertive military, easily won election in parliament as Japan's youngest postwar prime minister Tuesday.
Abe garnered 339 votes out of 475 counted in the powerful lower house, and 136 ballots out of 240 in the upper house, easily defeating Ichiro Ozawa, the leader of the opposition Democratic Party of Japan.
Abe, at 52 Japan's first prime minister born after World War II, stocked his new government with conservatives such as Taro Aso, who will keep his post as foreign minister. Aso is widely known as a huge fan of anime and manga.

9-26-06 (1:50AM EDT)---- Reiji Matsumoto At TGS

eg has pics of Space Battleship Yamato creator Reiji Matsumoto who was hyping a new Galaxy Railways Story cellular phone game at the Tokyo Game Show this past week. Supposedly he showed up at the Softbank / Vodafone booth rather suddenly and was met by a gaggle of noisely cheering fans. The mangaka immediately took to demo phones setup with the new game. It's said Matsumoto was able to navigate through the phone very quickly becuase has the same latest model at his own home. When asked about cell phones in his own life, Matsumoto said hequite frequently turned off the power usually because he makes too many calls.

9-26-06 (1:31AM EDT)---- Devil May Cry Trailer

The video trailer for the upcoming Devil May Cry anime that ran at last week's Tokyo Game Show has been posted to YouTube.

9-25-06 (9:34PM EDT)---- American Singer Katelyn Tarver In Akihabara

17 year old American pop singer Katelyn Tarver will have her Japanese performance debut at the housemaid cafe Cafe And Kitchen Cos-Cha in Sotokanda on October 22. Tarver hails from Glennville, Georgia and took part in the American Idol spinoff American Juniors in 2004. She advanced into the top ten finals there. Her Japanese (exclusive for 2006 - USA release is pending) CD debut in occurs on September 27th with "BRAND NEW DAY". 56 tickets to the show go on sale on September 28th, each costs 2,600 Yen. In store concerts will be held around Tokyo at Yamagiwa Soft and Tower Records Kinshicho branch as well. Her Japanese appearance comes as part of a 2-week promotional tour, starting on October 18th in Japan and the Philippines.

9-25-06 (9:11PM EDT)---- Actor Tetsurou Tanba Dies

Nikkei News reports Japanese actor Tetsurou Tanba (his real name was Shouzaburou) died in a Tokyo hospital on September 24th at 11:27PM of Pulmonitis. He was 84 years old. Tanba starred in many TV dramas and over 300 movies including "G-man 75". His funeral will be held in Aoyama at noon on the 30th. The chief mourner is his eldest son and actor Yoshitaka. His debut was in the 1952 movie "Murder-Suspect". He was known for roles in James Bond 007 "You Only Live Twice" and voiceovers in anime such as The Cat Returns. In 19080 he won a Japanese Academy Award for best supporting actor. He was an avid researcher of the spirit world and afterlife and wrote several books on the subject.

9-25-06 (7:22PM EDT)---- Genshiken Anime Sequel

Courtesy Heisei Democracy:Kujibiki Unbalance will be airing starting this October, and today's (September 25th) edition of Afternoon magazine saw the publication of the first chapter of the accompanying Kujian manga.
Today's scoop, revealed in the pages of Afternoon, is that Genshiken will in fact continue in animated form - but as a special add on to the Kujian DVD box releases, not as a TV series in itself. The Light Otaku Diary describes the release as mirroring that of the Kujian OVA when it originally came bundled with the R2 release of Genshiken two years ago, right down to the (very steep) price tag of 14,490 yen per box (a box containing four episodes of Kujian and one of Genshiken, for a total of three new Genshiken episodes and 12 episodes of Kujian over three boxes). Release is December 22nd.

9-25-06 (7:17PM EDT)---- Keitai Shoujo To Be Animated

Softbank announced Keitai Shoujo will become an animation at the Tokyo Game Show 2006. The news came via their booth and a special talk event with some of the cast and staff of the existing 6MB Vodafone cellular phone game and drama CD series. A PC game will be developed as well.
Anime details remain unpublished although an early spring 2007 rollout is likely. The official website is www.g-mode.jp/title/kts/. GA Graphic has some pics from their announcement.

9-25-06 (4:50AM EDT)---- TGS XBOX360 IDOLM@STER Trailer

Bandai Namco's official IDOLM@STER website has updated with a Windows Media promotional trailer from the XBOX 360 game they were showing off at the Tokyo Game Show last week. You can access it here.

9-25-06 (3:31AM EDT)---- .ANIME Launches

A new Japanese language anime portal launched from Bandai Visual and Bandai Channel at 1pm on the 25th of September. www.dot-anime.com or .ANIME as it's being called will be a locus for distribution of online video, online music and to facilitate DVD mail orders. to the animation work at 13 o'clock September 25.

9-25-06 (3:31AM EDT)---- Chinese Art School Ties Up With Shogakukan

China's Jilin Art And Animation School will partner with Japanese publisher Shogakukan Ltd. to co-produce the new Romance Of The Three Kingdoms related animation Seki Kou (Sangokushi No Meishou Seki Wa). The school will also invest in the project which is estimated to cost 5000-70 million Won to make. Completion is expected in 3-4 years. Production will be carried out according to international standards.

9-25-06 (3:09AM EDT)---- New At Vertical

A few excerpts from Vertical Inc.'s Fall, 2006 Newsletter:
ODE TO KIRIHITO by Osamu Tezuka drops October 24. Do NOT miss this. After reading Kirihito, anyone who thought Tezuka was a kids' cartoonist will say, "I never said that" faster than a hipster responding to claims he owns tapes of New Kids on the Block. The mammoth graphic novel shows us beastliness, manliness, and a girl whose circus act involves being deep fried in tempura batter. Very adult.

Don't take my word for it-

"Ode to Kirihito is moving, tender and engrossing. Also very, very odd."
Neil Gaiman, author of The Sandman and Anansi Boys

"Tezuka-san turns his comic book mastery to evil in this terrifying examination of moral decay. Fans of Japanese horror both new and old should not miss this shocking single volume that will completely change Tezuka's American reputation as the Japanese Walt Disney. Brutal, depraved and savage, Kirihito will leave you panting like a beaten dog-man!"Andrew D. Arnold, Time comics critic

MAY IN THE VALLEY OF THE RAINBOW, by Golgo 13 writer Yoichi Funado (Release Date: December 19). They call him Japino because he's half-Japanese, half-Filipino. They chastise him because his mother died of AIDS servicing foreign businessmen. His family is a pugnacious grandfather, some neighbors and a pen of fighting cocks. Guerrilla warfare in the tiny mountain village of Garsaponga is nothing new to Japino. Only his innocent wisdom and the perfectly circular rainbow in the treacherous jungle hills can teach the world real peace.

BUDDHA, OUT NOW IN PAPERBACK!
Volume 3 comes out in September and Volume 4 comes out in November. It's Christmas-shopping time, folks! Nothing celebrates the birth of Our Lord like a biography of Gautama Buddha!

9-24-06 (8:28PM EDT)---- Lifesize Dragonball Alarm Clock

E-tailer Ameba is taking reservations for a limited edition upcoming lifesize 1/1 scale alarm clock based on a Dragonball power artifact from the global smash hit anime and manga of the same name. Each morning you can awake to the sounds of a different DB character's shouts. Manufacturer Banpresto is selling the 100mm sized, 160g clock for 2800 yen. Sales start on September 28th.

9-24-06 (7:28PM EDT)---- 160 Megapixel Digicam

The Swiss company Seitz has unveiled their 6x17 Digital panorama camera capable of producing 160 megapixel digital still images. Retail is 28'900 Euro. The camera has been making headlines in Japan as well.

9-24-06 (6:24PM EDT)---- Yoshiki's Music In Upcoming Hollywood Film

Former X-JAPAN drummer and pianist YOSHIKI will provide the ending theme for the United States suspense / thriller movie "Catacomb" set to open to the public in the summer of 2007. His song contribution will be titled "Blue Butterfly". His debut for a Hollywood production, in the past his music has appeared in the anime X and South Korean cinema as well. Directors Tom Coker and David Elliot who are working on Catacomb learned of his music and hand picked him for the role. The Japanese theatrical opening is also summer of 2007.

9-24-06 (4:16AM EDT)---- UPDATE: Prime Minister Koizumi Animation

Japan's "hard" political power gets emulated in soft power media starting October 10th at 10pm. Sports Nippon reports the tentatively titled "Daremo Shiranai Koizumi Junichiro no Shoutai" (Nobody Knows Junichiro Koizumi's True Colors), a new Fuji Television Network anime based on the 5 year term of the current Japanese Prime Minister. Condensing major events and speeches in his administration such as North Korea and surprises in human affairs GONZO will animate the documentary style work. We had originally reported that this will be a series but it appears the animation will in-fact air as an insert into a drama on Mr. Koizumi. Thanks to Crazed Gaijin for the correction.